The Best of Friends
by kaileytmarie
Summary: Breakdown gets a present for Knock Out. Why? Because that's what best friends do. Set after Rock Bottom.


**Breakdown was one of my favorite characters and I really wish he could have stayed in the series longer. I just really wanted to do something with him and Knock Out, soooo this happened.**

**I typically don't ship unless it's canon. This is strictly a friendship story.**

**I don't own them. But you already knew that.**

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"Hey, Knock Out," the blue mech called in a sing-song voice. "I got you something! Where'd you go?"

Something crashed to the floor and he could hear the distinct sound of a writhing Vehicon fighting against his bonds on the med-table. Knock Out wasn't big on using sedatives. Sure, he'd take most of the sting out, but he liked to see his patients squirm.

Honestly, it had taken Breakdown quite some time before he managed to block out the sound.

The medic suddenly appeared at the door smiling happily, fresh energon dripping from his servos. "A present? For moi? What could it be?" Knock Out locked his fingers together behind back and rocked on his heels.

Breakdown smiled back at his partner, offering him the crate he had been hauling around the Nemesis for the past half hour.

Knock Out tilted his head in confusion, one optic ridge arched. He took the filthy box and shook it lightly. "You shouldn't have," he said dryly. He was slightly disgusted by how hideous the packaging was. Breakdown knew that Knock Out preferred to admire his gifts from the very beginning.

"Open it, Knock," said Breakdown as he bounced with excitement. "I didn't have time to make the box pretty for ya, but I know you'll love the inside."

Knock Out didn't try to hide the cringe on his face, but he did comply with his friend's request and pried the lid off the crate. His optics widened as a gasp escaped him.

"Ta da!" Breakdown beamed at his look of shock and awe. "Carnauba wax for your stash, fresh from the manufacturer! There are four more boxes in my quarters. I'll bring 'em to you later today."

"My, my, haven't you been a busy boy," said the racer, plucking one of the containers out of the crate to examine it. "Tell me, Breakdown, how many joors of monitor duty did you have to trade with the Vehicons so they'd cover for you while you retrieved these little gems?" He looked up at his friend with a smirk.

Breakdown shifted on his pedes, trying to find anything else to look at. "Ah, that doesn't matter."

Knock Out hummed. "That many, huh?"

Breakdown smiled sheepishly. "Can't I do something nice for my best pal every once in a while?"

"Naturally." He stared expectantly at the former combiner. "However, your usual 'something nice' isn't quite so extravagant." He placed the crate on the floor and crossed his arms over his chestplate, smirking. "So?"

Breakdown studied the floor with rapt interest, mumbled a string of words.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that."

"I said I wanted to do something to thank you for patching up my optic."

Knock Out let out a laugh. "Ha! No you didn't."

The big lug sighed. "Fine, I'll just take the wax back, since you obviously don't want it." He bent down to pick up the crate, but his servos were slapped away by the medic.

"Now, now. Let's not be hasty. You don't have to say it if you don't want to."

Breakdown grinned. "Thanks, Doc."

Knock Out returned his smile.

He spun on his heels, gesturing for Breakdown to grab the wax and follow. "Well, now that we've gotten our fluffy BFF moment out of the way, I require your assistance in the med-bay. And once we're done patching up the Vehicons and our malfunction of a Commander—who managed to get himself trapped in a cave in—you can help me put some of this carnauba to use."

Breakdown gladly followed his friend back to their workstation, a stupid grin on his faceplate. He had gotten to know several other Decepticons through the years, some of which he had gotten pretty close to, but no one had ever compared to Knock Out.

The medic was discretely sadistic in his practices. He knew how to heal a bot in the most uncomfortable ways. He enjoyed the power he held over whoever was subjected to his medical table. He would push them to their limit without ever crossing a line. His patients might scream, but their pain would never be completely unbearable.

Yes, Knock Out was something to be feared—especially if under his scalpel—but Breakdown had never trusted anyone as much as he did the Aston Martin. Knock Out was his friend. His _best_ friend. He knew things about Breakdown that no one else knew.

He knew the true motivation behind the gift. Breakdown could tell. And the medic would take his partner's secret to his grave.

After all, what would the other Cons think if they knew that Breakdown had asked Knock Out to disable his pain receptors during repairs after his run-in with MECH? He would be a laughingstock. Worse than Starscream!

Knock Out had complied without a moment's hesitation. He hadn't laughed, scowled or judged Breakdown for his weakness. He had offered a genuine smile. _Your secret's safe with me, my friend._ He hadn't even tried to strike a deal.

The sound of Knock Out's laughter pulled Breakdown from his thoughts. He looked quizzically at the medic. "What?"

"Are you going to stand there grinning like a Newspark tasting an energon goody for the first time or are you going to be a good assistant and _assist_ me?"

Breakdown shrugged, embarrassed. "Sorry." He busied himself with keeping Knock Out's workstation clean and organized, retrieving parts from the storage closets, restraining unruly patients and keeping the energon syringes filled and ready for transfusions.

Finally the time came for his first shift of monitor duty. "Gotta go, Knock Out," he said, placing a freshly filled syringe on the table next to where the medic was performing an amputation on a slightly alert Miner who had been caught in a battle with the Autobots. "Be back later."

He walked to the med-bay door, pausing to let an angry First Lieutenant stomp passed him while demanding Knock Out stop whatever he was doing to repair his latest injuries.

Breakdown smirked to himself. Monitor duty wasn't looking all that bad at the moment.

"Breakdown."

The blue mech stopped, glanced over his shoulder. "Yeah?"

"Thank you." Knock Out looked up from his work, offering that rare, sincere smile for a short moment.

Breakdown nodded. Left.

They were and would always be the best of friends.

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**Okay, I'm happy now. Hope you enjoyed it. :) R&R**


End file.
